Tube sectioning machine



Feb. 19, 1952 Filed Aug. 19, 1947 M. E. GAZETTE TUBE SECTIONING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 19, 1952 M. E. GAZETTE TUBE SECTIONING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 19, 1947 Patented Feb. 19, 1952 2,5iiis3424 TUBE SECTIONING MACHINE Marshall E. Gazette, Roslindale, Mass., assignor to Hercules Container; Corp., Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 19, 1947, Serial No. 769,375

4 Claims. Cl. 16469) This invention relates to tube sectioning machines. More particularly, it provides a machine which selects single paper tubes in succession from a hopper, divides each into sections of predeter- =7; mined lengths, and deposits the sections in septubes are used industrially in a wide variety of circumstances, which in addition to uses strictly as tubes include containersfor foods, cosmetics and other commercial articles, and covers for such, as well as for wrappers, rollers, etc. Such tubes are manufactured by well known processes of continuous operation, for example, by winding a pair'of strips of paper around helically so each strip overlaps the edges of the other. For' convenient handling these are cut into uniform length, herein called stock length, which, in the present example, is illustratively assumed to be 20 inches. Such tubes constitute the raw material which the machine of the invention will cut into sections, assumed to be wanted in six-inch lengths, each to become thebody of a cylindrical paper box. The machine, therefore represented set up for a particular diameter of tube and length of section, can be set up to operate similarly to produce other lengths and to work 1 In this set-up the maon other sizes of tube. chine is to out each 20-inch stock tube into three six-inch sections, and to trim off the residual margin at each end.

, The machine is wholly automatic, in the sense that the duties of the operator consist in occasionally depositing an armful of stock tubes in the hopper, and in occasionally substituting an empty bin for one that has become filled with sections cut by the machine.

Objects of the invention are to improve efiiciency as compared with machines heretofore known, by eliminating the possibility of blockages to which other machines are subject; increasing the speed of output, and so to reduce the J he objects will appear as the description proceeds,

and are shown in the accompanying drawing.

It will be understood that the description and drawing disclose only an example, and that many variations may be made.

In the drawing, which is somewhat diagrammatic, with parts omitted for clearness:

Figure 1 is a left end elevation of the machine which is being described; I

Figure 2 is a frontelevation of the same;

Figure 3 is a left end elevation of the same, in section on the line 33 of Figure 2; but at a different stage of operation;

Figure 4 is a plan of the same;

Figure 5 is a plan of parts of the same, in section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3, enlarged;

Figure 6 is a plan, in section as on line 6-6 of Figure 3, enlarged, showing the gang of cutters; but showing the mandrel inserted; and

Figure 7 is a detail of one of the gang of cutters operating on a, tube, greatly enlarged.

The general structure and operation are that a selector drum l0 takes tubes T singly from a hopper at the top, and drops each in turn into a V-shaped cradle 0 made of rods 12 in which gravity moves it to the vertex position T-40, where it will receive a mandrel l4 thatwill be shot endwise into it by a sort of .air gun that is fixedly aimed, comprising acrosshead l5 joining a pair of pistons I6 that are air-puiT-driven out from long parallel cylindersv H. The leading end of the mandrel emerges from the tube into a rotating cup clutch l8 (Figures 2, 6) which sets the mandrel and tube into rotation. At the same time a gang of rotating cuttersZO (Figures 3, 2) becomes swung against the side of the tube; cuts it into the predetermined sections; and swings away. Thereupon other pistons 6| (Figure 4) in reversely pointed cylinders H shoot the mandrel out of the tube and as the mandrel recedes the sections of tube fall separately from the places cost of the product; reducing the'floor space requisite for the operation of a machine of this sort; and operating the mechanism by air power in a cycle which includes the holding over of a charge of motive power air, at partial pressure, thereby reducing the need and cost of power I seen in Figure 2 where they were when being cut. The pistons travel in their cylinders without close packing, and thus theair pressure appliedv becomes so quickly reduced that a succeeding oppositely directed air pufi is effective to move the mandrel reversely. The interval of time between successive similar strokes is so short that the high air pressure used in a stroke is not wholly lost. It is not wholly exhausted but becomes reduced enough to let the opposing stroke be efiective. g

The machine includes pipes and valves and operating cams, for compressed air supply'for'the linear drives; power transmission and control devices for the various rotatory drives; and means to synchronize the various action in repetitive cycles.

In the drawing, elements which belong distinctively to the supporting frame are marked F, and tubes on which the machine operates are marked T. Owing to the long and straight nature of tubes, the hopper is a skeleton affair made of a pair of separated parallel inclined bars 30 (Figures 3, 4) which slope toward other bars 3! to form a sort of V into which a supply of stock tubes T can be throvm and will be held in horizontal parallelism. A transverse upright plate 33 constitutes an alignment wall 'at the left end of the hopper. The front bars 30 do not fully close the lower part of the V; and the space thus left is closed by a rotating drum selector 19. This is skeletonized, consisting only of its rotating shaft 9 and two disks [0, one at each end of the drum, the disks having edge-notches 34, aligned in pairs together lengthwise of the drum. into which any of the tubes. in the hopper can settle and be carried around with the drum. As shown, these notches are semiecircular, conforming in size to the diameter of tubes. which are to be handled,v to encase loosely about half of the cylindrical surface of any'single tube T. The inward face of each disk has a shoulder H! of reduced diameter with larger notches 35, which conform to about a ,quadrant of a cylindrical rolling tumbler H which is a rather large hollow shell tethered loosely in the hopper, parallel to the tubes T, by strapsSl-whose ends have antifriction rollers 38 hooked into the open ends of this tumbler. The tumbler is made with diameter so great that it will rise and roll over any tube T which is being carried past it in a notch 34. Ordinarily this rising and falling is sufficient to agitate the mass of tubes so that every successive notch 34 will acquire a tube as it passes the lower part of the hopper; but occasionally some disarray of the tubes will make one or more notches 34 pass empty. Inthe absence of a tube to raise it, the tumbler will settle into its own deeper notch 35, portrayed in Figure 3, and its movement into and out of these notches coupled with its rotational frictional drag on tubes, and gravity, will agitate the mass to restore horizontal parallelism of the tubes T 50 that the notches 34 will again pick them up.

A curved stri 39 of spring metal extends beside the course of the selector drum to confine each tube in its notch 34, and ends underneath the drum to let the tube, fall into the V-cradle, marked with a C and made of bars l2, which receives and by gravity places and holds each suc cessive tube in the vertex position marked P40 in line to receive axially the mandrel l4. For tubes of other diameter the cradle bars can be adjusted to produce proper alignment of the tubes axis with the axis of the mandrel;

The mandrel I4 is slidable lengthwise through a bearing 42 on the frame F and is rotatable therein, and is also rotatable in its bearings 43 on the crosshead l which drives it. The crosshead has carriage wheels 44 that'run on horizontal side rails 45 of the frame F. Mandrels of differing diameter can be substituted, with the mandrels axis always at the same elevation level, by using mandrel bushings of suitably differing sizes in the crosshead bearings. The propulsion of the crosshead for shooting the mandrel in the tube is by a pair of parallel pistons it which travel in cylinders 11, one on'each side of the centrally mounted mandrel, driven by com-'- pressed air which enters these cylinders IT at 4 the right (Figures 2, 4) through vertical pipe 48. This is fed from the main air supply 5| at the left of the machine through the long pipe 49 (Figures 2, 3 and 5) controlled at self-closing valve 41 (Figures 3, 5) by a cam 50 which is adjustable on the shaft 52 for setting its time and dwell to deliver a puff of air at each revolution of the cam. For propulsion of the mandrel l4 in withdrawal direction a pair of pistons 5| beside the mandrel run in the cylinders H which receive puffs of compressed air through vertical pipe 58 (Figure 1) fed by pipe 59 from the main air supply 5| through self-closing valve 51, controlled by cam 60 which is similar to cam 50. These two cams are on the same shaft 52 and operate at different times; but for clearly showing the relation of the cam 60 to the valve 51 this cam 60 is represented about to open that valve'and so is not in the part of its circuit which it occupies when the valve cam 50 is in its position shown in Figure 3, about to operate its valve 41.

The main shaft 8 receives its power from any suitable source, as by belt 8|, for which Figure 1 indicates an electric motor assumed to have a reducing gear. From themain shaft 8 a V belt 82 drives a first countershaft 86. This is a short shaft at mid-height of the machine, wholly at the left of the section line 33 in Figure 2. It is aligned with the mandrel l4, and, the end of this shaft which is toward the mandrel, immediately at the left of said section line, carries a contact collet clutch [8 into which the leadin end of the mandrel strikes, after passing completely through the tube that is in position T-40.

From this countershaft 86 a belt 88 drives a second countershaft 90 from which another belt 92 drives a third countershaft 94 which carries a gang of cutters 2D. The cutters may be spaced apart along this shaft according to the desired lengths of sections of tube. This shaft has bearings on a swinging frame 96 (Figures 3 and 6), approximately horizontal, which is pivoted at I00, seen in Figure 6 and indicated as a dot and circle in Figure 3. This frame is a lever whose power end is at the top of an upright thrust-rod I02, the foot of which stands pivotally on an approximately horizontal lever I04 that is continuously pulled upward by a spring 106 to press its terminal roller I08 upward. against a cam 21. The high radius dwell of this cam depresses the roller and lever I04, thus lifting the cutter shaft 94 and cutters 20 into the tube position T-4fl. This cutter-controlling cam 21 is loose on its shaft 29, which. is chain driven, as indicated by the dotted line H4, from the main shaft 8; but is connectible to its shaft 29 by a single-revolution clutch H6, the tripping of which is effected by a lever and strap H8. This clutch-tripping lever is fulcrumed' on the frame Fat 120, Figure 3; and its power end has an upward slant, Figure 2, in position to be struck and depressed by the leading edge of the crosshead l5 as the mandrel reaches the end of its stroke into the clutch [8 that starts the tube rotating.

This clutchv H6 is of the type which is effective as a clutch only when tripped; andreleases atv the conclusion of a single revolution, until it is tripped again. It leaves the cam'2'l and, the cutters 20 inactive until the lever H8 is again depressed. However the cutters 2D rotate continuously at speed. The swing of the cutter shaft 94 toward and from cutting position isapproximately perpendicular to its driving. belt. 92, and is very short, therefore imposes no undue Stretch on its driving belt:

Chain I22 from the main shaft 8 driving the valve cam shaft 52 and the speed-reducing chain drive from that to the selector shaft 9 indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1 and the chain drive 4 from the main shaft to the cutter-control cam shaft 29 maintain synchronism in the action of these elements so that the depositing of a tube at the position T40? the supporting and rotating of it by a mandrel, the cutting of it into sections and the delivery of these sections accompanying a withdrawal of the mandrel constitute a complete cycle followed immediately by the depositing of another tube as the beginning of another cycle.

Means is provided to adjust the air power with which the mandrel is impelled, and to cushion the impact at each end of the stroke. The air supplied to the machine may be as is convenient, e. g. from storage at 200 pounds but a reducing valve 53 brings the pressure down to whatever is desired for the particular work in hand, e. g. 60 pounds at each valve 41 and 51, ad-

mitted during a period which can be adjusted by changing the dwell of the cam 59 or 60. To soften the impact at end of stroke a rod con-' tinuation 64 of the mandrel is installed at the right in Figure 4, connected to the mandrel by coupling 66, having a bearing 65, in which the end part of the mandrel I4 is rotatable. This rod passes through a dash pot, indicated at 61, and in each direction'from the dash pot carrying an adjustable collar 68 which can be set to engage the dash pot at the proper point for easing the terminal impact.

In operation the selector Hl rotates continuously at a rate which drops one tube T into the cradle C at each complete revolution of the shaft 52 which carries the cams 50, 60. In this cycle, gravity settles the dropped tube to the target position T-dll; the cam v50 opens valve 41 admitting to pipes 49, 48 and cylinders I? a puff of air under pressure suflicient to shoot the pistons l5, crosshead l5, and mandrel I4 in guided flight through the tube, until the mandrel strikes the rotating target clutch [8. Immediately preceding, the crosshead i5 strikes and trips the lever H8 that actuates the clutch H6, so that it grips the shaft 29 and begins to rotate the cam 21 with it. But this cam stops when the clutch I I6 stops at the end of one complete revolution. During that revolution the cam 2'1 pulls down the rod I02 and so swings the lever 98 that carries up the gang of cutters 20 into the position T-40 occupied by the mandrel M which by this timeis both supporting and rotating the tube T. The cutters penetrate the tube as seen'in Figure 7, dividing it into sections according to their spacing apart along their shaft 94. As the single revolution approaches it send, the cam 21 lets the spring I96 drawup the rod N12 to draw the cutter shaft 94 and the cutters 20 away from tube. Immediately thereafter the valve cam 60 reaches its position illustrated in Figure 1, and opens valve 51, to admit compressed air to pipes 59 and 58 to the cylinders H and pistons 6| to shoot the mandrel back out of the now sectioned tube. Before this the opposing pressure in cylinders I! will have fallen enough for the pressure freshly admitted to cylinder H to do its work. An obstructing bushing l9, or sleeve prevents the tube from following the mandrel. Therefore as the mandrel moves each section falls from the place where it was being cut, and if the sections differ in length each can be received in a bin (not shown) allocated to its particular length. The valve cam cylinders l1. These cylinders and pistons 16 are designed to operate with very little packing of the piston in the cylinder, or none at all, in order that each puff shall quickly become dissipated in order to provide for effective action of the reverse puff. The inserting ofthe mandrel by powerful short-blasts of air, herein called puffs and the, consequent free fl'ghtof the mandrel as a missile to its target, has important useful effects, especially in comparison with any system in which the mandrel stroke is positively driven, as by gearing. One is that if the stock tube happens tov be defective, or bent, so that the mandrel becomes jammed the freedom of the mandrel from positive drive safeguards the machine. Another is the speed which can be attained, both speed as a missile, and quick reversal, for high frequency of cycles. Since each piston acts only in one direction, and has no stuffing box, the propulsive high air pressure behind it diminishes quickly after the cut off of air supply, and is not fullyrestored by return of the piston. However the quickness of-reversal catches some air at a pressure that is helpful in the succeeding similar stroke. By embodying two,pistons in each direction one of the'cylinder-piston. combinations can over lie the other with great saving of space. the cutter control is also a safeguard, for this will not swing the cutters to working position if their control lever is no tripped by the airdriven mandrel reaching the endof its normal flight. The mandrel will be small enough to pass loosely through the tube which is at position T-Ml. Its leading end should be slightly tapered, to make sure of entering the tube. Thecradle C is preferably set, by adjustment of the bars [2, so that the inserted mandrel will contact the inner surface of the tube. The rotationof the mandrel, which begins when its impact seats the spring collet l8 against its fixed sleeve,

will then rotate the tube by frictional drag. By coordinating the driving speed of the rotary system, which fixes the time between reciprocating puffs, and by adjusting the reducing valves 53 and the lengths of dwell of cams 50 and 60 for controlling the power of those puffs, in relation to whatever rate of pistons leakage is found to characterize any particular machine, the coordination can be attained in which a high rateof output of sectioned tubes is coupled with asubstantial salvaging of the power used in one cycle for repeated use in the next cycle. The

pipes. 48 and 49 being rather long have their diminishing pressure boosted by the beginning of the next succeeding cycle. The time allotted for thecutting need be only long enough for the clutch and cam 21 to make their single revolution; The time for that is made precise in relation to the valve timing and selector timing by the interconnections of these parts by chain and sprocket drives, so that in close succession of events the machine sets a tube in target position, shoots the mandrel into it, cuts the tube into sections, and drops the sections by shooting back the mandrel.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a tube-sectioning machine of the type wherein there is a tube hopper, means for removing tubes singly therefromto mandrel-receiving position, a mandrel, means reciprocat- The impositive character of 7. ing said mandrel into and from-successivetubesi tubecutting means, and:means-for stripping the cut sections from the-mandrel; incombination, a. V-cradle to whicnsaid. removing meansdelivers each tube, and whereingravity. positions each tube at the vertex, this being a mandrelreceiving position, mandrel rotating means-including a rotary open ended clutch having a, spring collet seated against a sleeve fiXed'therei-n; this collet being aligned'as a target behindsaiu mandrel-receiving position at the vertex and clutching the leading end of themandrel; said mandrel being connected to a wheeled supportlng. carriage, and parrallel tracks onwhich the carriage is supported and alongwhich the car riage is thrust by said reciproeatingmeans for imparting swift motion to the mandrel onaecourse leading itthrough the tube atthe mandrel receivr ing position. V

2. In a tube-se'ctioningmachine of-- the typ wherein there is a tube hopper, meansfon removing tubes singly therefrom tom-andrel receiving position, a mandrel, means reciprocating said mandrel intoandfrom successive tubes, tube cutting means, and meansfor stripping the out sections from the mandrel;- iii-combination; a- V-cradle to which saidremoving meansdelivers each tube, and wherein gravity positions each tube at the-vertex this-being amandrelreceiving position, mandrel rotating-means including a rotary-open ended clutch having a spring collect seated againsta sleeve fixed therein,- this collect being aligned as a target behind said mandrel-receiving position at thevertex and clutching the leading end: of; the mandrel; a rotary shaft'for said'tubecuttingmeans, supporting means therefor movable transversely -toand from said mandrel-receiving position; a spring to drawsaid cutter shaft out of said supporting means, a second shaft, a cam on said second shaft for moving the first: shafttornandrel-receiving position, aone-revolution clutchon the second shaftfor controlling. therevolua tion of said cam, and a lever whose power end is located in the path of a partreciprocating: with said mandrel and whose. work end: trips. the one-revolution clutch torotate. said-earn] 3. A tube-sectioning machine, havingiincom.-. bination a tube hopper, having ina lower part of its wall a rotating drum with. notches; for.

receiving and removing tubes. singly; arelativee.

13/ larger cylindrical tumbling. agitator. withinthe hopper for riding over tubes that are inithose.

notches, a drum having deeper notches. to\ re.-. 'ceive and eject this agitator; a V-cradler to which the said'drum-delivers each tube, pointeddownward to hold that tube in amandrel-receiv.- ing position as a target; a mandrel; pistons comnected to the mandrel and cylinders imwhich the pistons act, fixedly aimed-at thetargetiand there being pipes, valves and valve control. means for supplying puffs of compressedzair, tothetpis-l tons; saidtcylinden-and-piston combinations being in. mutually opposing pairs; for reciprocating-- the mandrel. toward and: from; said target; and each said piston? being single. acting; having leakage fordissipating its puflf pressure during its stroke; the said pistonswhich act'in' one direction-being locatedjnoverlapping relation to those acting in the opposite. direction; a. rotating clutch; open ended behind said target to receive, grip and rotate the leading end oi the mandrel, whereby the target tube isrotated; arshaft with. cutters thereon swing-mounted. beside the target for swinging the cutters transversely toward] the target; a single revolution clutch, with. cam for swinging said cutter shaft; a. lever for tripping this clutch, thelpower end of this lever: being located to be engaged? when themandrel reaches the: first said clutch, by; a part. which moves with the; mandrel:thereby.- to trip the singleireve olution clutch; and: drivingmeans, the, said. tube remover, valvescontrols, and single revolution cutter clutch being'synchronized for cycles, each cycle. comprisingv thesaid delivering of a tube to the target position; shooting the mandrel into that tube and the rotary clutch, swinging the cutters into and out from the target tube and shooting the mandrel:- back; therefrom; there being an. obstacle outsideof the target position and close to the mandrel, preventing the;sectioned tube from following the mandrel bach; whereby the tube-sections are .thusstripned-from the mandrel and fall from the cradle.-

4. A tubesectioning-machine; of thertypelhavs ing in combination a tube, hopper, meansfor. removing tubes singly therefrom tomandrel-receiving position, amandrel'andzmeans to-lrecipe. rocate it into and'fromsucoessive tubes, mandrel rotating and tube cutting means, and means for stripping. the out sections: from the mandrel; characterized in that the said; removing means is a rotating. drum constitutin a: lower. part of the wall of the hopper, having: peripheral tube-receiving notches; combined: with a; rela-. tivelylarge, freely rotatable, cylindrical tumbler; within the hopper for riding; over tubesthatare in those said notches: said drum; also: having peripheral notches-to receive andieject thettum bler for agitating and settling other? tubes, in the hopper.

MARSHALL GAZETTE-1 E N ES;- .111 2.-

The following references areof-record= in-the file of this patent:

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Number Name Date;

583,426.. Bird-et'al. May. 25.; 18.93, 923,554; Mill June11, 1999 1,497 ,576 Molins June 10; 192.6; 1,594,821 Dulligan. r Aug. 3,- 1926, 1,934,660" Fairchild' Nov.- 1 1933; 

